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DISCOURSE 9
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man in whose heart there is Dharma. Senselessness and impropriety do not appear in a man of Dharma. If a man is senseless and improper in his thoughts and feelings, remember that such a man can come nowhere near Dharma. You come to the temple; and by the pressure of your steps the stones of the upashray wear away. You do not care for propriety in the temple; and in the upashray, you do not behave sensibly. Then what do you do in your houses and shops? You do not possess sense and a sense of propriety; nor do you learn them when they are taught to you.
How many times have I told you that you should come to the temple and the upashray with sense and propriety but if two ladies meet each other on the staircase, they start conversing loudly. They keep talking aloud about all sorts of matters even while the oblation is being done to the Paramatma; and even while the Paramatma is being worshipped. Do you deem silence sinful? Speaking is Dharma; and silence is a sin; is it so? You do not speak what is worthy of being said, but you keep uttering things that are sinful and senseless. What a terrible indiscretion has enveloped you! In what spheres of life do you act sensibly and with a sense of propriety? The life of Pethad Shah is said to be ideal and exemplary. He gave a grand welcome to the presentation sent by Bhim shravak. He spent thousands of rupees for the noble ritual; he brought the presentation to his residence; he enshrined that dress meant to be worn at the time of worshipping the Paramatma, in a holy place, and every day he used to have a darshan of the gift. See, how greatly the Chief Minister valued and revered the object that inspired lofty thoughts and feelings in him. Please bear this point in mind. It is not impossible to attain all the glories and splendours of life; but it is difficult to entertain lofty thoughts and feelings. Do you know how greatly valuable are such things as auspicious contemplations, lofty thoughts and feelings; and a sublime assiduity ? One sublime act of deep assiduity can destroy the Karmas of countless ages. One sublirne contemplation secures for you the Karma that bestows upon you the benefit of countless years of heavenly existence. A single spiritual thought or contemplation can lead you to a sublime contemplation called
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